Faded Photos
by blu berry 3.14
Summary: A collection of short stories on the interaction between the Kharlan Four.
1. sleep

It had been another long day. This one was a near close call compared to others. How they managed to sneak past the Tethe' alla lines was amazing, but then again they did have Kratos. He was more aware of what the Teth' Allans would do and how to counteract their movements. They had to crawl through the battlefield to make it towards Sybak. It was also raining at the time, and when they managed to make their way through the miles of battlefield. They were tired, dirty, and hungry. They were no closer to any town, nor anywhere near a stream or lake to clean themselves. That was fine by him. He was used to these conditions, as much as he'd love to actually clean himself there were times where it couldn't be helped.

In the midst of his own preparations to get a good meal cooked, his vision saw the form of Kratos sleeping against the newly transformed Noishe. Well, it _seemed_ like the man was sleeping, but he just had an inkling idea that he wasn't. Looking back down at the items he had all set out, he began to wonder if anyone would actually be interested in eating. As hungry as most of them might be, they were most likely too tired to care. Looking back up, he blinked as a newly added body accompanied Kratos. Next to him was Mithos. Tuckered out and leaning against the man as he slumbered on.

Slowly he began to pack the items back up. Even if he DID cook, no one was going to eat it. Even HE couldn't muster up the need to stomach anything. He could still faintly taste dirt in his mouth and the blood of dead soldiers. Standing up to stretch, his eyes wandered back to the two to only gawk at what he saw. W-Was that Martel sleeping next to Kratos as well!? Slumping his shoulders, he sighed out at the three. It was to be expected. After all, the three had been traveling together long before Yuan had joined. So it was only natural that they might have the natural instinct to bundle up together. Yet, even after that explanation to himself he couldn't help but feel saddened.

Picking up a blanket from his pack, he dejected walked towards the trio and lightly laid the blanket on them. Walking around the large protozoan to find refugee as he sat himself down and crossed his own arms. Not bothering to sleep, as it was his turn to watch for anything at night.

He wasn't sure how long it was, but after a few hours of watching. He heard a rustle from behind him and a familiar green haired woman making her way towards him. His mouth opened to say something to her, but before he realized what had happened. He had found Martel sitting next to him with a sweet smile on her face and her eyes immediately fluttering shut as she leaned back on Noishe. His mouth gapped open as he attempted some words that would question what she was doing and to get her to return to were the blanket laid, but nothing would come out. So he did what any sensible man would do. He kept his mouth shut and just enjoyed the pure bliss of having Martel sleeping next to him.

With a small smile forming on his lips, his attention was caught once more as Martel's graceful form slipped towards him. Moving his arms out of the way, he found the woman on his lap. Asleep.


	2. hope

**HOPE**

They had just finished setting up the camp with the sun nearly setting over the river giving the glossy water a sort of tinge of colour that showed the depth. It was a fair time when the trees were ready to turn warm and the warmth of the sun dimming down for winter. A brisk chill swept in through the camp allowing for most that could to bundle themselves up as they awaited for the dinner of the day to be prepared. That is, if the two tasked with the job could agree on what to make.

Watching a few meters away from the two was Martel, bundled up in her own blanket sat upon a log with Noishe to keep her company. The Protozoan laying near her in a light slumber with his head gently placed upon his paws. His tail wrapped tightly near his body and his ears lightly twitching during his dreams. The sight made a small smile come upon her weary face before her attention was caught by Yuan yelling at Kratos over how infuriating the human was. She couldn't help but giggle, her mind quickly slipping into thought.

It was only after a few minutes of watching did her thoughts break with the sound of soft footsteps and someone new joining her. Mithos hands working to open Martel's blanket to slip in as well to share his own warmth as he gave his sister an adoring smile, only to stop and see the expression differ from her usual cheerful self.

"What's wrong, Martel?" Mithos asked with concern, the healer merely provided a smile to her little brother before answering in an upbeat reassuring tone.

"It's nothing, Mithos. Just a little thinking." She replied, yet the concerned expression never left the young half-elf's face. Assuming that his sister was lying and there really was something bothering her. Quickly becoming embarrassed and holding her hands up to shake along with her head, she attempted to reassure Mithos once more. "R-Really! There's nothing wrong, just...thinking about things."

"What kind of things?" Mithos questioned, as he caught his sister's gaze looking towards Yuan and Kratos again. Martel blinked for a moment as he heard his tone and sheepishly smiled towards him,

"Y-You're not looking at their butts are you!?" Mithos accused, and quickly caused Martel's face to turn red in embarrassment.

"SSHHH! NO..." She quickly lowered her voice. "O-Of course not, I wasn't thinking anything of the sort, Mithos." She sighed out. "Honestly..."

"Just making sure." Mithos said warily, eyeing the two. He knew that Kratos would never do something that could potentially take Martel in that direction, but he didn't trust Yuan. He was far too flirtatious for Mithos' own liking.

"I was thinking of how they give me hope."

"H-Huh?" Mithos shot a confused look at Martel, seeing the peacefull look on his face. Unsure of how his own sister could say something like that. "Those two idiots?"

Martel gave Mithos a look, slightly amused by how Mithos so gracefully commented on the two. The blonde continued in his attempts to at least cover for Kratos. Calling his teacher as something like that at least needed some amendment. "I-I mean, I can understand Kratos. He's strong and pretty reliable, but Yuan? The guy is a walking disaster..."

"Yes, they're silly. Two opposite people from different sides of the world, but doesn't it just give you hope knowing that even with such people like that they can get along?" Martel commented, both looking to find Yuan making a snide remark towards Kratos who merely shrugged the comment off and continued his duties of stirring the pot of liquid.

Mithos gave a slightly disbelieving look towards Martel, whom in return put a hand to her mouth and giggled. "Well, for the most part. At least they've come together for a goal to stop exactly what they started out as."

"Well yeah, I guess it is a big step from fighting each other on the battlefield. I think I remember Yuan commenting about that." Mithos replied, his eyes looking back to see the two finally compromising and not bickering any longer. After a while, it hit him. Exactly what Martel was meaning, and a small smile came to his face. That realization of hope.

"If they can get along, who is to say that the two nations can't?" She lightly said with a small forced smile before slowly glancing down with a sober expression. "Yet, I can't help but feel uneasy on the thought that we might not succeed despite it. Seeing those two help me to remember, but sometimes..."

"Don't worry!" Mithos quickly interjected, his hand coming up in a fisted motion as he gazed at Martel with such strong conviction. The sound of her little brother's voice making her head to snap up and stare at Mithos. " We can do it, Martel. We just gotta believe! And as long as we believe in our cause, we just have to keep trying. As long as we try and believe, we can do it. I'm sure of it."

Staring at Mithos for the longest time, a weepy smile spread across her face as Mithos' words hit deep within her heart. That's it. She just needed to believe, and as long as they kept trying. Who is to say they can't succeed? Even when things were at their worst, they just need to keep believing. For at the bottom, you can only rise.

Looking towards their hope, all their convictions and promises returned back even stronger. They _will_ succeed. There is not room for doubt. For they will die trying.


	3. the klutz

**the klutz**  
_1519 words_  
_mithos, martel, kratos, && yuan_  
_during the kharlan wars_

It all started with a piece of soap. Getting an Inn was always troublesome for the group, due to the heavy racism that disallowed seventy-five percent of the group from boarding, but this time they we able to. Only on the condition that they provided help in cleaning up, provided for their own meals, not cause trouble, and to not stick their nose where it wasn't needed. Granted the last part was difficult for some in the group, most were more than happy by the terms. They had all unpacked into their room, only able to buy just one. The sister and the brother were allowed the only bed in the room and the other two older gentlemen were content with the hard floor. One taking a cozy spot near the corner just in sight of the windows and door, while the other took the opposite side of the room with the disadvantage of having one of the windows near him.

Once they all had unpacked, they all quickly came down to the main floor to provide their assistance in cleaning up. The brother and sister were given the job of cleaning the floors while the two gentlemen had the honor of more strenuous work outside. One cutting wood while the other attempted to care for the horses. When the loud cry of the woman in their company came to either of their ears and that notorious crash rang in their ears, both were quick to look at the other and run towards the woman.

Upon the scene was the green haired woman holding her hair as her younger brother began to console the poor woman. Right behind her was a large almost seemingly carved out form of her body as a hole in the wall. A sudden chill quickly came down their spine and both thought quickly what this would mean. Catching sight of the owner gawking at the hole, both quickly began to bow and apologize for it. Both in different levels of panic and wishing for him to understand that it was merely an accident.

"M-My wall!" Cried the inn keeper. His hands extended to lament a the large hole he now had in his precious inn. Turning his anger towards the two bowing before him, his hands came onto his hips. Eye narrowed, brows furrowed, and a firm frown set on his face. "How the hell did this happen!?"

"M-Martel just slipped from the soap on the floor, sir! We're really sorry, it's just an accident. My sister…she's really clumsy!" The young boy stammered out, worried evident on his face. If they got kicked out for this, than they'd have to sleep out in the cold again. He didn't want that, not to mention he didn't want that for his sister. Tending over her own hurt head from the collision, she tried to get up only to fall back into the boy's care. Her face contorted in pain and sadness, she then opened her own mouth. "Please, I'm very sorry sir. It was an accident."

Skepticism came over the man's face. A person slipping on some soap and causing a large hole on his wall? That was stuff only people tell tales about, but when he looked at the hole. He couldn't help but feel that there wasn't any other explanation for it. Putting a hand on his chin and thinking it over, he glanced at the half-elves. He had only allowed them to stay at the inn out of pity, and he could tell they were all worried about what would happen if he kicked them out. Knitting his brows then giving a gruff grunt before nodding his head, he spoke up finally. "If you can explain how someone like her could manage to put a hole in my wall, I'll let you off the hook." A silent conversation came between the group. Both the siblings look at each other with a scared look, how could they possibly explain how it happened? She slipped on the soap after running to tell Mithos something and she crashed into the wall putting a hole in it. After a few seconds passed and it seemed the Yggdrasill siblings had nothing to explain for it, and the ex-knight only stood there silently unsure of what to do the bluenette spoke up.

"Well." He said first thoughtfully, walking towards the hole to examine it and lightly picking at the wall. "What were you doing before Martel?"

"I-…I was taking care of something when I came running to tell Mithos about…uhm..something I heard from one of the guests." She explained, her hands clutched close to her heart. Sat on the floor still too dizzy to stand.

"I see alright. Let's assume that Martel was running three meters per second and she weighs…" He stopped for a moment to glance at her, attempting to figure out a general weight of her's. "I'd say she's sixty-two kilograms. To get her momentum we'd take her weight and times it with the velocity of what she was traveling. Which come to…"

He stood there for a few seconds figuring out the math while mostly everyone stared at him. Math was never something that Yuan ever flaunted knowing and Mithos had the inkling idea that he was pulling crap out of his ass. Martel was mesmerized that he even got her weight right, and Kratos was intrigued. While the inn keeper couldn't believe that Yuan was actually taking him seriously.

"She would have a momentum of one hundred eighty six kilograms times meters per second. If we examine the wall, you can tell that it already has some termite problems and wasn't looking all that great to begin with anyway. It's safe to say it's plausible for her to make a hole like this." He explained, lightly picking at the wood once more before turning to look at the inn keeper awaiting for the man's answer. What he met was a gaping inn keeper and puzzled companions (plus the glaring Mithos).

As the inn keeper began to digest the information he was given, his expression condensed into a serious thinking one. As all groups watched the man with apprehension, a few occasionally staring at Yuan's head, eventually the man spoke up finally.

"There are wood planks in the shed near by, go patch that hole up." The man said thumbing towards the direction of the shed. Martel blinked and couldn't believe what just happened. They had managed to avoid a crisis. As no one said anything and remained in their spot. The inn keeper turned his attention to Kratos. "Well boy? You going to do as I said or do I have to remind you that you owe me to help out."

Blinking away the stupor that was on his face, the auburn man nodded his head and began walking towards the shed to do as he was asked. As the inn keeper gave Yuan a glare, the half-elf grumbled and went back to his job of caring for the stable. The siblings scrambled back to their feet and returned to their cleaning duty. Martel being extra careful to not slip up again and make another wall. She didn't think Yuan could talk their way out of that mess.

—

Later that day as they began resting and planning on what to eat, Mithos decided to come make a comment before the left. "You're so full of crap, Yuan." He said, causing all three to look at him. Yuan's own eyebrow lifting in a questioning look. "There's no way what you said earlier was true, you pulled that out of your butt."

A shocked looked cross the bluenette's face. That was right, he did say that, and as he quickly looked for a solution a chuckle came from the man. Hands coming up to give a slight shrug and smirk on his face. "So what if I did? I might have bluffed, but at least we still have a room."

"Oh wow, Yuan! Thank you so much for that." Martel pipped in, a smile on her face. This caused the older half-elf to blush and quickly look away, a small grimace on his face. Mithos to gave Yuan a quick death look before pulling at his sister and placing the sweetest expression on his face. "Come on, sis! We gotta get the food, remember?"

"Oh yes, I almost forgot. Would you like to come with us, Kratos?" Martel offered before receiving a nod of the head. The two siblings made their way out of the door hand in hand, while Kratos slowly made his way to the door stopping for a bit close by Yuan.

"Liar. That wasn't really a bluff, was it?" The man questioned quietly as he looked at the half-elf seriously. A shocked look came across Yuan's face, as if he was found out. Yet before he could say anything Kratos was out the door catching up to the siblings.

It started with a piece of soap, but it _had_ to end with a bluff.


End file.
